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Wednesday, December 31, 2014

If you are looking for a simple, no fuss, yummy good dip to serve for New Years Eve, or anytime, this Blue Cheese Dip is your answer. The ingredients are so basic that you might just have most, if not all of them in your kitchen right now. So make it this morning, stick it in the fridge to chill, let the flavors meld together, and you are done!

Thursday, December 18, 2014

It is BundtBakers Day! If you are looking for something special to serve this holiday season, this little Candy Cane Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache Drizzle is the answer. I stepped up the white cake batter a notch by adding peppermint extract and red food color swirling through the batter. The chocolate ganache is rich and decadent, and what better time to have decadent than at the holidays! It is topped off with chopped candy cane pieces and adorned with a candy cane Christmas Tree!
This sweet little treat screams "Merry Christmas"!

Candy Cane Bundt Cake

w/ Chocolate Ganache Drizzle

Cake

2 cups Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 cup Butter

1 3/4 cups Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Peppermint Extract

4 Egg Whites

1/3 cups Buttermilk

Red Food Coloring

Ganache

Milk Chocolate

1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

Candy Cane Tree(make this the day before or at least before the cake)

crushed Candy Canes

Christmas Tree Cookie Cutter

Pan Spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease and flour your bundt pans.

Combine your flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

Set aside.

Mix your butter and sugar together until creamy.

Add peppermint and mix in.

Add egg whites, beating well.

Add some flour and then alternate with buttermilk and

flour on low until combined.

Remove 1/2 cup of batter and place in separate bowl.

Add food coloring one drop at a time until

you reach your desired color.

Place white batter in your bundt pans but only half as high

as you would go. Add red batter with a large spoon.

Spread it around the pan.

Add additional white batter .

Use a toothpick or skewer to swirl the two colors together.

Bake for 15-16 minutes.

Remove from oven, take a toothpick around

the edge of each bundt. Let sit 15 minutes.

Remove from pan.

Melt about 5-6 ounces of chocolate in a double boiler.

Heat your whipping cream so it is warm.

You can do this in a microwave. If you want to do

it on the stove, do it in a separate pan from the chocolate.

Once the cream is warm to the touch, not hot,

add the cream to the pot of chocolate, and whisk it together.

Cold cream could make your chocolate seize and it

will not be unusable.

Drizzle chocolate on your plate.

Place the bundt cake on the plate and drizzle

chocolate on it how ever you like. I like

to fill the center because it tastes so good

with the peppermint pieces.

To make the candy cane tree and star, set your oven

to 250 degrees. Wipe the inside of the cookie cutters

with pan spray. Place the cutters on a cookie sheet

covered with parchment paper. Crush your candies

and sprinkle the pieces in the cookie cutters. The higher

you fill them, the thicker they will be. Cook for

10 minutes or until melted. Keep a close watch.

Remove from oven and let cool. Then remove from

the cookie cutter. This can be made the day
before you want to use it.

Decorate accordingly!

Here is the inside of your peppermint cake.

See the chocolate dripping down the inside! Yum!

Thank you for joining me today!

Check out what all the other #BundtBakers made today!
Thank you, thank you to Laura and Stacy for making it all happen this month!

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on the BundtBakers home page.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

If you are like me, you make a lot of Christmas Cookies for friends and family. As I pack the cookies into fancy tins and pretty boxes, I am always looking for something special to fill in the little spaces between cookies. This year I decided to fill them with these Holiday Peppermints! They are easy and quick to make. Just remember to make them early, because they need 24 hours drying time.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

The holidays are definitely the season of cookies! I have been seeing cookies EVERYWHERE! But I am not complaining. I am rejoicing! Because I love cookies!

Today I made a pfeffernuse cookie as part of The 3rd Annual Christmas Cookies Recipe Swap. This recipe was sent to me by Sara from Clever Pink Pirate. Stop by and see her today. She is baking the cookie recipe I sent her, Thumbprint Cookies! What is a pfeffernuse cookie? It is a cookie that is popular in Germany, Denmark, and The Netherlands. It is full of wonderful spices that are a treat for the nose and the taste buds. While it is similar to a gingerbread cookie, it has a stronger taste. It contains anise extract, a licorice tasting flavor. But enough talking about it!

Monday, December 15, 2014

It is time for The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap reveal. I always have fun participating in this holiday group. I send a dozen cookies to three different bakers. Three bakers send a dozen cookies to me! It is always fun to see and taste what cookies represent the holidays to others. I also love the fact that this group donates to Cookies For Kids Cancer with help from our sponsors! Such a great cause.
This is the fourth year I have taken part in the cookie swap, so it is kind of the becoming a tradition for me. Which is how I ended up making gingerbread man cookies. Traditions are every where at this time of year, so I decided to go traditional with my cookies. So I mixed 'em up, rolled 'em out, gave them eyes and a mouth, and fancied them up a bit with a bow tie, because you should dress for the holidays!

By linking up, you are giving
The Freshman Cook permission to feature your post on social media and our blog
using a photo, title, and link to your site. Proper credit and links will be
given to you.
Look for your link ups on my Pinterest page for Celebrate It!, on Twitter, and on Facebook!

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

When I learned that eggnog was the ingredient to use this month for #FoodieExtravanza I was so excited! I had been wanting to make Eggnog Creme Brulee for a while now, and now that I have, I can't believe I waited this long. It is rich, creamy, and has an incredible flavor!

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

As a child growing up Thanksgiving dessert was always for the adults. Pies, pies everywhere! Well, when I was little, I didn't like pies, and neither did anyone else at the kids table. So there was no dessert for us! That is where the Thanksgiving Monster Cookies idea came from. These cookies have most of the things that kids love like.........

Thursday, November 20, 2014

It's the start of the holidays and our Bundt Bakers theme
for this month is Booze! How fun is that???
I wanted a cake that celebrates the season, so I made a
Champagne Soaked Cranberry Bundt Cake.
Fun and Festive!

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Today I am participating with several other bloggers in #Foodie Extravaganza.
Every month we have a theme to use as a guide for a recipe. This month the theme is Peanut Butter.

Check out all the other peanut Butter inspired recipes at the end of this post.

Buckeye Brownie Bites are made with two of my favorite things: peanut butter and chocolate! Is there any better combination? I call these Buckeye Brownie Bites because they are somewhat of a cross between Cake Balls and Buckeye Candy!

Friday, October 24, 2014

Thursday, October 23, 2014

I love Halloween treats! Don't you? They are fun to make and share with friends, and they are so unique to the holiday! That is what these Haunted Graveyard Bites are all about! I loved creating them and they most definitely scream "Halloween"!

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Today I am celebrating fall by making this Spiced Apple Bundt Cake with a Caramel Brickle Drizzle.
Fall is definitely in the air here in North Carolina. The days are mild and gorgeous, and the nights are brisk enough for a fire in the fire pit. Definitely a reason to celebrate! Another reason to celebrate?! This bundt cake is part of #BundtBakers. This months theme is caramel.....Yum! So check out all the other goodies, after you see mine, of course!! You are sure to find several favorites!